


That's Not Soda

by CoransMoustache (NEPS338)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Christmas, Crying, Gift Giving, Love Confessions, M/M, Self-Esteem Issues, Tears, Twerking, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-06 23:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10346976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NEPS338/pseuds/CoransMoustache
Summary: Keith gets drunk on space alcohol because he's a lightweight and blabs some embarrassing things about Shiro. Lance is loving it, that is until the things that Keith blurts out start to involve him...[The underage warning is for Pidge drinking space booze.]





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Umisei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umisei/gifts).



> Based on more updated headcanons Shiro, Keith and Hunk are 19 in this, while Lance is 18. Pidge is still underage though.

Although it was hard to calculate what time it would actually be back on Earth, the paladins of Voltron were currently introducing the Castle of Lions to the human celebration of Christmas. After everyone had managed to convince Coran that twerking was not a genuine Christmas tradition (Much to Lance’s disappointment), the ginger Altean had pulled out a crate of bottles filled with a strange purple liquid that piqued everyone’s interest.

“Is this ux’nuv?” Asked Allura, a genuine grin lighting up her entire face as she picked up one of the bottles to examine it.

“Indeed it is princess!” Exclaimed Coran, stroking his moustache with a smile.

“Since none of the paladins seem to like nunvill and this human festival appears to be about giving, I thought I’d give them some ux’nuv to try.”

Both Pidge and Shiro squinted at the purple liquid suspiciously while Lance downed it in practically one gulp.

“ _What is this stuff anyway…?_ ” Shiro asked cautiously.

Lance chugged another bottle, before butting in before Coran had the chance to answer.

“I don’t know, but it tastes great!”

Coran smiled fondly at the blue paladin, glad that he seemed to like the ux’nuv better than nunvill.

“I think you humans would refer to it as a _soda…?_ If I’m correct??” He finally replied after Lance had finished speaking.

“It’s a sweet drink that children love and can give you cavities if you overindulge in it.”

“They were a favourite treat of mine as a child.” Allura added helpfully.

Looking back down at the bottle he’d picked up, Shiro took a sniff of the strange liquid before taking a hesitant sip. It smelled slightly odd and there was a familiar tang that he couldn’t quite place, but overall Lance was right… It _did_ taste pretty good.

“It’s good.” He proclaimed, watching as the other paladins no longer hesitated to help themselves to the alien beverage.

 

A few bottles of ux’nuv later, however, made him realize why he’d found the drink questionable in the first place. Swaying back and forth only a few feet away was Keith, who happened to be talking to a very concerned looking Hunk. Alcohol. _Coran had given them alcohol._ Shiro himself didn’t drink, which explained how the smell and taste had gone over his head… _But there’s was no mistaking its effects._ With a long suffering sigh, Shiro put down his bottle of ux’nuv and headed over to Keith and Hunk. Lance followed him out of what appeared to be curiosity, Pidge having disappeared with Coran some time ago to do some maintenance on the ship.

“-and then he laughed so hard that the soda came out of his nose, all over his date!” Keith slurred to Hunk.

The yellow paladin smiled awkwardly, not sure what to make of Keith’s unusual rambling as he gently patted him on the back.

“That’s… _pretty funny_ , I’ll admit. But… _Why are you telling me all of this embarrassing stuff about Shiro again?_ ” He asked.

Keith gaped at Hunk like he’d just told him that he was a Galra spy.

“ _Because h_ e _’s such a weenie…!_ ” The red paladin stage whispered, as if the answer was obvious.

“One time, he _literally_ ran into a pole because he saw a cute girl…!”

Shiro facepalmed with a groan, while Lance chuckled beside him.

“Oh, yeah…?” He asked his mullet headed rival.

“ _Is that the only time~?_ ” He added teasingly.

Keith shook his head vigorously.

“ _Nuh-uh!_ He almost did the same thing just last week before I grabbed him; _he almost ran into a castle wall…!_ ”

Lance laughed again, finding the idea hilarious, while Hunk stared at Keith inquisitively.

“Wait, _who was he staring at this time…?_ ” The larger paladin asked.

Shiro paled and was about to say something in reply, but Keith beat him to it.

“Uh, _Lance! DUH!_ ” The red paladin slurred.

“I swear, he needs to get over the whole ‘ _But I don’t want to take advantage of him, I’m the team leader!_ ’ thing and just make out with him already!”

Grabbing the smaller, drunken paladin, Shiro turned a light red and clamped a hand over Keith’s mouth to prevent him from spilling any more of his embarrassing secrets.

“Ohhhkay! _I think that’s enough ux’nuv for you…_ ” He laughed nervously, praying desperately to whatever deities existed that Lance wouldn’t be staring at him when he looked up to gage the other’s reaction.

As it turned out, if gods existed, _they were very cruel beings indeed…_ Lance was staring right at him, his pretty blue eyes wide and a rosy hue tinting his tanned cheeks beautifully. The blue paladin began to open his mouth in order to say something, but was cut off by Allura as she wandered over to them from where she’d been talking to the mice.

“ _Is everything alright…?_ ” She asked suspiciously.

Sighing in relief and _thanking_ whatever deities existed, Hunk answered for them.

“Nothing that you want to get involved in…” He replied, giving her a look that emphasised exactly why she shouldn’t.

“ _Keith’s had a little too much ux’nuv though_ , would you mind helping me take him to the infirmary?”

The Princess tilted her head curiously, clearly perplexed as to why someone as solid as Hunk would need help carry someone as small as Keith to the infirmary. Looking between Lance and Shiro’s blushing faces, Keith’s obviously intoxicated state and Hunk’s apparent desperation to get of the situation though, she seemed to come to an understanding.

“Um… Ah, yes. _Of course…!_ ” She said, struggling not to stumble over her words.

“I guess that Hunk, Keith and myself shall be in the medical bay if _either_ of you should need us…” She added pointedly, looking between Shiro and Lance as she placed herself underneath Keith’s right arm.

Hunk did the same, placing himself underneath Keith’s left arm before the two of them whisked the red paladin off the ship’s designated medical area in order to sober him up and treat his impending hangover.

 

The silence between the blue and black paladins after they had left was awkward a seemed to stretch on for hours, even though it had to have been only a few minutes since they had been left alone together. Unable to stop fidgeting, in his discomfort, Lance was the one to break the silence…

“So… You, uh… You think that… _I’m hot?_ ” He asked awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and flushing a deeper red with every word.

With the way that his face was burning, the older paladin didn’t doubt that his face was probably the same unfathomably deep shade of red.

“ _It’s not like that._ ” He replied, almost immediately.

“Well, I mean _it is…_ But, it’s not…. _That’s not all there is to it._ ” He added, averting his gaze as the shame and guilt of his own feelings weighed down on him.

“Well… Good!”

Shiro’s eyes snapped back to Lance, shocked at the lack of a negative reaction.

“Lance…-” He started.

“ _No!_ Shiro, you’re _not_ taking advantage and… to be fair… _I kind of like you too._ ”

The last part was said quietly, Lance averting his gaze now as if he were ashamed of admitting to some sort of schoolboy crush. Snapping his jaw shut, Shiro looked away again.

“ _No you don’t…_ ”

Lance looked back towards him and frowned.

“You don’t… _You don’t know me like you think that you do Lance._ When I was taken captive by the Galra…-”

One hand on his shoulder, and another one turning his gaze back towards Lance cut him short.

“When you were taken captive by the Galra, _you did what you had to in order to survive and protect your crew mates…_ And even if you made mistakes, _that doesn’t matter._ ”

The black paladin flinched at his crew mate’s kind words, his mind screaming at him that even if that was true, Lance could do better…

“Lance, _you don’t know what you’re talking about…_ ” He argued, moving the blue paladin’s hands from his form.

“ ** _You don’t want someone as messed up as me..._** ”

Lance scowled, a defiant pout crossing his face.

“I may not have been through what you’ve been through, but I think that being forced to leave home and join an intergalactic _WAR_ out of nowhere counts as messed up! Your scars don’t define you… _You’re still the beautiful person I’ve ever met._ ”

Without thinking about it, Shiro lifted his human hand to the scar across the bridge of his nose. Lance moved it away from his face and took it in his own hands, pressing a gentle kiss to the palm before looking back up at the older paladin with an expression of pained sadness.

“ _Don’t sell yourself short…_ If anyone doesn’t deserve something, **_it’s me._** ”

Shiro frowned deeply, shifting a hand to cup the younger paladin’s face… _Barely even registering the fact that it was the one made of metal._

“Lance, _you’re not unworthy…-_ ”

Lance gave a sad smile as he cut him off, the moment bittersweet as he found himself unable to believe Shiro’s words.

“Shiro, just shut up and kiss me already…”

Unable to argue any further, Shiro complied with the blue paladin’s demand and kissed him tenderly. It wasn’t the final scene of some perfect, cheesy romance movie; but it was it was the start of something both imperfect and sorely needed… Pulling away from the kiss and knocking his forehead softly against Lance’s, Shiro found himself unable to hold back the words he’d been feeling any longer.

“I love you…”

Though he smiled genuinely in reply, the tears that rolled down Lance’s face at the same time made Shiro’s heart clench. He wasn’t about to take those words back now, and he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to love Lance for every little thing that he couldn’t love himself! Sobbing, Lance curled into his arms with that same smile still spread across his face.

“ _I love you too._ ”


End file.
